Wednesday, July 26, 2017

When Lily Ivory opens a secondhand clothing store in
San Francisco, she’s hoping for a fresh start.Lily grew up in Texas under the watchful eyes of her grandmother after
Lily’s mother couldn’t deal with a daughter who had considerable supernatural
powers. Lily’s father, himself a powerful witch, was pretty much out of the
picture for reasons not quite revealed.Suffice it to say he seems an untrustworthy sort, if not evil.That last is still to be determined.

In the opening book, Lily’s efforts to keep a low
profile runs into problems when a murder forces her to use her power, which in
turn draws the attention of Aidan Rhodes, a handsome and extremely powerful
witch who more or less runs the supernatural portion of the city. She also has
to deal with a skeptical reporter and a gargoyle/goblin.

This is a charming series (pun somewhat intended)
which makes for great treadmill reading and beyond.Blackwell takes her stories seriously; some
sections are quite intense.There is
humor to leaven the tension, often in the form of Lily’s pig who is also her
familiar.And not really a pig.

While the first books appear to be following tried
and true formulas, later books show Blackwell forging her own path.In short, her story arcs are less predictable
than some series. While the main story is wrapped up in each book, there are a
few plot threads that are ongoing; this leaves readers satisfied but at the
same time intrigued to see how Lily’s overall story will play out.

As with most of my favorite books, characterization
is the strongest aspect.Lily is not
only a novice witch, but a newcomer to a lot of human interactions.Shunned as a child, she never experienced
close relationships with anyone but her grandmother: no girlish friendships or
steady boyfriends.She’s not unwilling
to forge relationships, just uncertain. The supporting characters are also well
developed, and like Lily herself, change and grow over the course of the
series.Some prove disappointing; others
turn out to be true allies; and some remain ambiguous figures.

There are numerous other things to enjoy about the
series.One aspect is the vintage
clothing and accessories, which is odd in a way because my idea of fashion is
to have earrings that match my blouse.The reason I do enjoy it is that Blackwell drops in bits of historical
information about the pieces, the material, and even the social conditions that
created the fashion. For example, she
notes that most vintage fashion isn’t off the rack suitable for modern wearers
because body shapes have changed in the past few decades.

Blackwell’s witchcraft blends a number of
traditions, but Lily is primarily a brewer of potions, especially in the
earlier books.She describes a few
techniques, including how to harvest certain plants.Another aspect I enjoy is that Lily is, in
many ways, still a student. There is much she doesn’t understand yet, and even
some things she has believed to be true that are not—or might not be true.This goes back to characters, many of whom
have their own agendas.

In short, this is a series that keeps me walking
past my original goal which makes it Treadmill Gold.

Juliet Blackwell is the author of another series, Haunted Home Renovation Mystery, and has
written two standalone non-mystery novels.

Kevin's Corner

Sandi's Cancer Fight Is Over

Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, and support for the past six years plus as Sandi did everything she could to be here with all of us. She is now free and not hurting anymore. I am still trying to pay off her past treatments at Medical City Dallas Hospital as well as at Texas Oncology. While the hospital can't handle direct donations, if you can help and would prefer to donate directly, please contact Debra, the financial counselor at TEXAS ONCOLOGY in SUITE 220 of Building D at Medical City Dallas Hospital in Dallas, Texas. We thank you for your prayers, thoughts, and support for the past six years plus as Sandi did everything she could to be here with all of us.